I know that every garden zone is different, however, that said, I thought I would share some of my personal success stories (where roses are concerned) while tending my roses in Zone 22. I have discovered throughout my history of caring for not only my own garden, but the many gardens of clients my partner and I took care of, that sometimes garden care is a trial and error type of endeavor. What works for one individual plant variety doesn’t alwys work when applied to someone else’s garden. Some gardens thrive while being basically neglected, while other planting beds can challenge even the most patient of people with it’s recurring problems, no matter how much attention you devote!

I have several hybrid tea roses and even more shrub roses. The reason for this is a simple “more bang for the buck” theory. My shurb roses are constant performers in my garden. I will confess that they do not make fabulous cut roses for the house, however in the garden they add that punch of color and are fairly easy to care for. Some of my favorites are: Burgandy Iceberg; White Iceberg; and Brilliant Pink Iceberg. The only problem they ever give me is ‘mildew’ in the early summer months. This is caused by cool nights and warm days. It doesn’t impact the bloom, but it is a little unsightly during this time—usually only lasting one bloom cycle. I prune these roses in January and cut them to the shape I need. I clean out some of the smaller inside canes and mulch with a good compost after pruning. I feed them monthly between February and October.

More on roses next time.